Apparatus for producing stepped articles



Feb. 14, 1961 s. H. VICKNAIR, JR

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEPPED ARTICLES Filed July 29, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SIDNEY H. VICKNAIR, JR.

ATTORNEY 5 Feb. 14, 1961 s. H. VICKNAIR, JR 2,971,558

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEPPED ARTICLES Filed July 29, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 F/G. Z

[N V EN TOR.

SIDNEY bf V/CAA/A/R, J/P.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING STEPPED ARTICLES Sidney H.Vicknair, In, Atlanta, Ga., assig'nor to Reynolds Aluminum SupplyCompany, Atlanta, Ga.

Filed July 29, 1957, Ser. No. 674,679

6 Claims. (Cl. 153-77) This invention relates to a stepping machine andespecially to a machine for continuously receiving a flat strip of metalor the like therein and forming the same into a substantiallystair-stepped configuration.

This invention also relates to an improved method for continuouslystepping a flat strip of metal or the like.

The type of strip formed by this machine has a particular use indecorative application and especially to cover joints or seams instep-formed articles such as metal awnings and the like. Heretofore suchstrips have been formed by hand or other Ways using short lengthspressed or formed more or less in flat presses or dies. The presentinvention presents a machine for forming such strips continuously fromstrips of continuous'material fed into the present machine.

Generally described, without regard to orlimitation on scope of theinvention which is set forth in the claims, the machine consists of aframe on which are carried vertical, spaced blocks or posts forming anarrow passageway through which strips may be fed. In vertical alignmentand meshed on the vertical blocks is a pair of step forming rolls ordrums of identical construction and each with its peripheral surfaceformed in s eps with a series of teeth or lugs giving the roll aracliet-like construction with the two rolls meshing and rotating abouttheir own shafts. The top roller is mounted on floating pillar blocksheld on the vertical blocks andspring pressed into engagement with thebottom roller by means of heavy coil springs acting on the pillarblocks. Therefore, the meshing engagement between the two rollers isresilient. A drive motor with drive pulley is connected with suitablegear reduction and drive to the bottom roller on the frame thereby powerdriving the first or bottom roller in mesh with the top roller. Stripmaterial is fed into the space between the vertical blocks and into andbetween the meshing teeth of the forming rolls and is pressed and bumpedby the rolls into a stepped strip which issues from the front of therolls.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine with means to formelongated strips into a step formation with step risers and treads in acontinuous fashion as the strips are fed through the machine.

Another object of this invention resides in the simple and dependablearrangement of step forming rolls and the drive mechanism therefor.

Another object is found in the formation of the surfaces of the stepforming rolls together with the resilient mounting bringing the tworolls into meshing engagement with each other.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the machine of my ICE- strip fedtherebetween and with the other parts of the machine broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the meshing rollers in engagementforming a flat strip fed therebetween and with the other parts of themachine broken away.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the meshing rollers without a striptherein and with the remainder of the machine broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating another stage in therotation of the drums.

Referring to the machine 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, a machine frame 12 withfloor contacting support beams 14, upstanding beams 16, transversemembers 17 and diagonal braces 18 supports a generally fiat, horizontalmachine bed or platform 20 which in turn has mounted rigidly thereon andspaced thereabove a feeding platform 22 supported on posts 24.

Rigidly mounted by bolts 25 on one side of frame platform 20 is a pairof heavy vertical blocks or posts 26, 28 of generally solid rectangularform with a gap or space therebetween and fastened together by means ofa top cap 35) and bolts 32. Spaced transversely across the frame 12 fromthe blocks 26, 28 is another pair of identical blocks 34 rigidlyattached on the frame and having a top cap 36 bolted by bolts 38thereon.

Mounted on bearing blocks 49 between and fixed to each of the pairs ofblocks 26, 28 and 34 is a shaft 41 having thereon confined between saidpairs of blocks 26, 28 a drive, bottom, forming roller or drum 42 whichis divided on the-periphery thereof equally into wide, rachetdike teeth44 each having a protruding, angular edge 46 and a top forming surface48. The length of the surface 48 is substantially equal to the length ofthe tread of thesteps being formed. The length of the edge 46 issubstantially equal to the riser height of the steps being formed. Thelength of surface 43 is much greater than the length of the surface 46.The number of teeth 44 and the size of same are readily selectible bychoice according to the size of step desired on the strip being formedand the drop of same intended; or in other words according to the lengthof step or tread desired and the drop or depth or the step riser.Normally in mesh with said bottom or drive roller is a top, drivensecond forming roller or drum 50 of substantially identical constructionwith said roller 42 and having a number of the substantially identicalteeth 52 equally dividing the periphery of drum 50 and each with aforming edge 54 and a forming surface 56. There are the same number ofsubstantially the same size and shaped teeth 52 on drum 50 as andcorresponding with teeth 44 on drum 42. The length of surface 56 islikewise substantially equal to the length of the tread, and the lengthof the edge 54 is substantially equal to the riser height of the stepsbeing formed.

Drum 50 is driven by the movement ofdrum 42 and turns on a shaft 58mounted on floating pillar blocks 60 there being one block 60 confinedrespectively in the space between blocks 26, 2S and another block of(not shown) in the space between the blocks 34 on the other directlyopposite side. Interposed between a respective floating block 60 and itsrespective cap 39 or 36 is a pair of heavy coil springs 62 on each sidepushing downwardly on the respective block 60 thereby tending to pushthe drum'Stl into engagement resiliently with the drive drum 42. Theextent of travel of the drum 5%) downwardly under the force ofthes'prings 62 is controlled by adjusting screws 64 engaging theundersurfa'ce of the blocks 60 and being respectively threadedly mountedin plates 66 respectively secured to and between the blocks 26, 28 and34, 34. In this manner when a thick strip of metal or the like is beingfed between the drums 42 and 50, the adiusting screws can beset tomaintain the drum 50 spaced'a predetermined distance from the drum 42whereby any tendency of the drums 50 and 42 to cut or damage the stripby the compressive force of the springs 62 is prevented while stillpermitting the drums t and 42 to step the strip in a manner here inafterset forth. M l 7 A motor 68 is mounted on the frame bed 28, and has onthe shaft 78 thereof a drive pulley 71 connected by. drive belt 72 witha driven pulley 74 mounted on shaft 7 6 of a gear transmission 78 whichin turn has the output sprocket 80 thereof connected by a chain 82 to adriven sprocket splined on shaft 41 with drum 42 to drive same. Powerfor the motor 68 is derived fromany ordinary electrical source and it'iscontrolled through wire 83 by a simple on-off switch 84 mounted withinthe normal reach of the operator. With the motor 68 on, drive drunr 42operates continuously to drive the top second drum 50 in mesh therewithto receive material fed therein,

Feeding platform 22 has an upstanding guide 86 thereon to guide metalstrips 88 into the gap or space between the two pairs of blocks 28 and34 into the mesh between the drums 42, 50 and between the teeth 44, 52.A reel 90 with manual handle 92 is mounted on a frame member 94 fixed onthe machine bed 20. Metal strips 88 fed as a continuous member afterforming between the rollers 42, 50 into steps having treads 96 andrisers 98 are Wound onto the reel 90 to be removed therefrom in coilsfor easier handling. 8

Since there is transverse or vertical relative movement between theshafts 41 and 58 because the shaft 41 of drum 42 is fixed fromtransverse or vertical movement, and the shaft 58 of drum 50 istransversely or vertically movable against the action of springs 62, thedrum 50 is reciprocated transversely or vertically as the drums 42 and50 rotate. The action between the riser forming edges 46 and 54 and thetread forming surfaces 43 and 52, as the drums rotate, is such that thetread forming surfaces 52 measure portions of the metal strip 88 as morefully shown in Figure 5. At a certain stage of drum rotation, as shownin Figure 5, the leading edges 46a and 54a gripand hold the leading edgeof a tread 96a which is about to be formed or completed. The trailingedge 54b has started to bend the strip 88 in a manner to measure ofi thetread 96a without subjecting it to any substantial drawing action.Thereafter the trailing edge 54!: will push the strip 88 over the topshoulder of the trailing edge 4611 as the drums rotate beyond theirpositions in Figure 5. The strip 88 will glide ever the shoulder oftrailing edge 46b, as the leading edge 46a continues to pull on theleading riser of the tread 96a, so that a trailing riser will be formedbetween the converging trailing edges 46b and 5411. This is a relativelygentle flow over the shoulder of edge 4612, since there is nosubstantial resistance to the flow of the sheet 83 over said shoulder,because there ,is no substantial backward resistance on sheet 88 andthere is never more than one step or tread 96 in the grip of the leadingand trailing edges of the teeth of the drums 42 and 54 to produce anystretch in the strip material.

This is because. the riser forming edges 46 and 54 and the tread formingsurfaces 48 and 56 are so proportioned that no substantial stretch inthe metal strip material 88 is formed. To this end. the relatively shortriser forming edges 46 on the drum 42 are generally radially directedfrom shaft 41. and the similar. edges 54 are generally radially directedfrom shaft 58. The relatively long flat tread forming surfaces 48 whichare between said edges 46 are almost per endicular to a respectiveradial plane extended from shaft 41 to the leading riser formin edges 6.but are slightly inclined from such perpendicular relationship to form asli htlv less than 90 an le to produce proper locking relationship withthe similarly shaped riser forming edges 54 and tread forming surfaces56 of drum 50.

In the position'of FigureS, the shaft 58 has been elevated to the fullline position 58a from the original position 58 which'was occupied whileinthe position of Figure 3.

through chain 82 in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in Figs. 3and 4. In Fig. 4, the two meshing rollers 42, 50 are driving in thedirection indicated in full mesh without material therebetween. A stripof deformable material of less width than the roller width, such asaluminum awning strip, is inserted between the drums 50 and 42 bypushing the end thereof into guide 86 and across feeding platform 22between two open teeth 44, 52 about to close, as shown in Fig. 3. Thestrip of material is pulled between the teeth 44, 52 during theirmeshing rotation in opposite directions. Since the top roller 50 isresiliently mounted against coil springs 60 it will give upwardlysomewhat to allow the material to feed between the teeth 44, 52. As theteeth 52 and 44 rotate, the edge 54b of the tooth measures a portion 96aof strip 88 substantially equal to the length of tooth 52 and bends thestrip of material 88 downwardly into the notch or space between adjacentteeth 44 to thereby form a flat portion 96a substantially equal to thelength of tooth 52 (and 44) and an upwardly extending riser 98. Sincethe springs 62 had been compressed by the drum 50 being moved upwardlyfrom shaft position 58 to 58a, Figure 5, the energy stored by thesprings 62 is utilized to bend the strip of material by pushing the drum50 downwardly in the manner previously described. As each tooth 52successively comes into fullmeshing relation between adjacent teeth 44,the above described action takes place whereby the strip of material iscontinuouslyrstepped in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, withno stretching action on the treads 96.

Therefore, it can be seen that there has been provided an improvedmethod and apparatus for continuously bending a flat strip ofmaterialinto a stair-stepped configuration.

While I have shown and described a particular form of my invention, thisis in no way to be construed as a limitation on scope, as variousalterations, changes, substitutions, eliminations, equivocations, anddeviations may be made in the form provided without departing from thescope of invention defined hereinafter in the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination: a first drum mounted to rotate about a fixed firstaxis; a second drum mounted to rotate about a second axis which ismovable in a plane whichpasses through said first axis; equal stepforming teeth around the periphery of said first drum, said teeth hayingrelatively short riser forming edges which are generally radiallydirected from said first axis and which have radially inner and outerborders, said teeth also having relatively long fiat tread formingsurfaces between said inner border at their leading edge and said outerborder at their trailing edge, said tread forming surfaces beingslight-lylessthan perpendiculartto a respective plane extendedfromsaidfirst axis to the respective leading riser forming edge; equalstepforming teeth around the periphery of said second ,drumsubstantiallyidentical'in shape to said'first step forming teeth; means to rotatesaid first drumymeans to movably urge said second drum toward saidfirstdrum. to receive a metal strip between-the teeth of said drums, to' formsteps with relatively long treads and relatively short risers, saidriser forming edges and said tread forming surfaces being proportioned soonly one step ofsaid strip at any one time is in the grip of the leadingand trailing edges of said teeth to prevent any substantial. stretch inthe tread forming material of said strip.

2. In combination: a first drum mounted to rotate about a first axis; asecond drum mounted to rotate about a second axis, said axes beingrelatively movable with respect to each other in a plane passing throughsaid axes; equal first step forming teeth around the periphery of saiddrum, said teeth having relatively short riser forming edges which aregenerally radially directed from said first axis and which have radiallyinner and outer borders, said teeth also having relatively long flattread forming surfaces between said inner border at their leading edgeand said outer border at their trailing edge, said tread formingsurfaces being slightly less than perpendicular to a respective planeextended from said first axis to the respective leading riser formingedge; equal step forming teeth around the periphery of said second drumsubstantially identical in shape to said first step forming teethmeansto rotate said first drum; means to movably urge said drums relativelytoward each other, to receive a metal strip between the teeth of saiddrums, to form steps with relatively long treads and relatively shortrisers, said riser forming edges and said tread forming surfaces beingproportioned so only one step of said strip at any one time is in thegrip of the leading and trailing edges of said teeth to prevent anysubstantial stretch in the tread forming material of said strip.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which spring means are providedto urge said second drum toward said first drum.

4. A combination according to claim 2 in which spring means are providedto urge said drums relatively toward each other.

5. A combination according to claim 1 in which each of said treadforming surfaces is so disposed with respect to its respective drum axisthat a plane can be extended perpendicularly from said drum axis to saidtread between its leading and trailing edges.

6. A combination according to claim 2 in which each of said treadforming surfaces is so disposed with respect to its respective drum axisthat a plane can be extended perpendicularly from said drum axis to saidtread between its leading and trailing edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS169,642 Howard Nov. 9, 1875 334,060 Taylor Jan. 12, 1886 1,346,492Hanmer July 13, 1920 1,414,549 Cleary May 2, 1922 2,040,745 Joyce May12, 1936 2,114,272 Temple Apr. 12, 1938 2,141,235 Angeletti Dec. 27,1938 2,605,810 Richardson Aug. 5, 1952 2,643,688 Crooker June 30, 19532,763,906 Sterick Sept. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,563 Great BritainApr. 13, 1893

